Say Something
by shadowphoenix55
Summary: ...I'm Giving Up On You. Ginny and Ron leave Harry and Hermione for a year. And when Ginny and Ron don't write back, all seems lost. Harry and Hermione are giving up on who they love, and, as they do, they find out that their for love each other is stronger. Three-shot. Harmony.
1. Say Something I'm Giving Up On You

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or the song Say Something. Those rights go to (1) J.K. Rowling and (2) A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera respectively.

**A/N:** I have three notes:

(1) I wanted to get the first chapter out before I leave for awhile, so this isn't edited. If you have any edits or recommendations, please review to tell me.

(2) This is the first chapter of three.

(3) This is my first slash story, so please no flames! I will accept constructive criticism, however.

Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the story!

**CHAPTER ONE **

**SAY SOMETHING, I'M GIVING UP ON YOU**

Hermione Granger was known to be successful at everything. She defeated Voldemort with her two best friends, one of which who was her current boyfriend, graduated with all Outstandings on her N.E.W.T.s, made huge improvements for House-Elf rights, and, most recently, became the Head of the DCML after Madam Bones' retirement.

But the one thing Hermione Granger wasn't successful at was love.

She thought she loved Ron Weasley, the boy who she had been friends with for over seven years. But when they spent time together, Hermione could feel something missing. A hole in her heart she didn't know how to fill. Hermione attempted to do so by ignoring it - she still loved Ron, of course - and diving into her work. She spent all of the time she could with her boyfriend, making dinners despite her hate for cooking and creating date nights. She still wasn't around Ron all that much, however, because of her work. She was the Head of the DCML and an active activist for House Elf rights, both of which took up a lot of work. Not to mention, the Minister of Magic, Percy Weasley, always called upon her for help. She was like the Vice President - except for a Minister, so she would be the (unofficial) Vice Minister. She didn't mind at all, though. Truth be told, she liked her work better than spending time with Ron. She still tried, though. Hermione Granger wasn't known to give up, and she wasn't planning on changing that any time soon.

One day, Hermione came home to find Ron standing at the door with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. They were all oddly picked - there were white roses, lilies, dandelions, and a whole number of odd things, but the sentiment was still there. Hermione was surprised, for Ron hadn't gotten something for her since… well, a very long time ago.

"Hi, 'Mione." Ron said, "These are for you. They're charmed to last for awhile."

Hermione smiled, finding herself filling up with hope.

For all the things she knew, Hermione Granger didn't know a thing about love.

"Here - I can take your stuff." Ron offered as he spotted Hermione's stack of books, "Here, trade me."

Hermione smiled even wider as she handed over her books to her boyfriend. He grunted at the weight, nearly toppling over, but managed to stay on his feet. Hermione giggled, happier than she'd been in a while.

Ron led her to the candle-lit table, where a dinner had been prepared. Hermione nearly gaped - she didn't even know Ron knew how to set a table, let alone cook! Ron pulled her chair out and Hermione sat down, ever feeling like a princess. Ron took a seat across from her. Hermione took the first bite of her food, shocked that Ron hadn't already started and instead had waited for her.

Hermione gasped at the juices that flowed into her mouth. That was… the most delicious steak she'd ever tasted in her life! She eagerly took a bite of the vegetables, and was equally pleased.

"Ronald Weasley, did your mother cook this food?" Hermione accused after she swallowed, teasing. Ron's face colored.

"Y-yes?" He said, but quickly followed up with, "I just wanted to make everything perfect, though."

Hermione felt like she was falling in love all over again.

"Thank you." Hermione replied, "I love it. I love you."

Ron smiled. They took a few more bites.

"Listen, Hermione." Ron said, "I just remembered - Ginny and I are going on a trip to America in a couple of days. I just want to make sure that's alright with you."

"Of course!" Hermione replied, even more stunned that he asked her.

Ron smiled wider.

"Thanks, 'Mione." He said, "I love you too."

Hermione was glowing.

* * *

Later that night, when she went to bed, she could still feel her heart expanding, filling like a balloon. Everything had just been so perfect. So amazingly awesome - she'd never felt any emotion like the one she was feeling at the moment. She was floating on a cloud, she was soaring through the sky, she was glowing like a firefly.

Maybe Ron had just gone through a tough spot, Hermione thought dreamily, and now they'd be perfect for each other.

* * *

Hermione awoke in the morning to find a note next to her flowers, which she had put into a vase. Ron had to leave early for his trip to America.

ONE MONTH LATER

Hermione's pen flicked across the paper as she wrote her eleventh letter to Ron. For the first two weeks he was gone, she only wrote to him a few times a week, but now she was starting to get worried. Ron hadn't written her back. Now, Hermione knew that it took awhile to get to America, but the owls had a magical way of getting there relatively fast. Hermione also knew that Ron wasn't very good with sending reply letters, but a month was a very long time. She was writing letters every other day, now. She figured that, if Ron didn't write her back soon, then she'd ask Harry if he'd gotten any letters from Ginny, since she also went on the trip with Ron.

Hermione tied her letter up to the owl's leg and watched it fly away until it disappeared into the night sky.

_Say something_

TWO MONTHS LATER

Hermione finally asked Harry if he'd heard from Ginny. He informed her he had three times - twice in the first month, and one in the second. That was more than Hermione could say - she hadn't heard from Ron since the night before he left. At some point in her conversation, Hermione figured out that Ginny and Ron would be gone for nine months more - to bring the total to a year. Feeling alone and helpless, she holed herself up in her office, wondering why on Earth Ron didn't tell her that he'd leave her alone for an entirety of a year.

Hermione wondered feebly if Ron would ever come back.

_Say something, I'm giving up on you_

She would be the one to welcome him back, though. If he wanted to come back, that is.

_I'll be the one, if you want me to_

She would have gone with him.

_Anywhere, I would have followed you_

She would have.

_Say something, I'm giving up on you_

THREE MONTHS LATER

Hermione stared at the newspapers she'd been ordering from America. She'd been trying to find Ron in one of them, if only to see his face again. She'd missed him a lot. The hole in her heart had gotten a lot bigger, so she'd simply thrown herself into her work. She worked from seven in the morning to one in the morning the following day on a regular basis. Harry sometimes came up to her and asked her if she was alright, but she simply waved him away.

And then came Christmas Eve. Hermione spent it alone, curled up on her couch, crying.

Harry wouldn't understand her pain, she thought, he won't understand the hole in her heart. He wouldn't understand how alone she was.

_And I… am feeling so small..._

No one could understand.

_It was over my head_

She felt so alone.

_I know nothing at all_

Six hours of sleep had turned into five and a half, and then five.

_And I… will stumble and fall..._

She, deep down, wondered if Ron ever loved her.

_I'm still learning how to love_

She wondered if anyone could love her.

_Just starting to crawl_

It was January first then she saw the picture. The 100th annual New Years Ball, hosted by MACUSA. The front page of America's Wizarding World Newspaper.

_Say something, I'm giving up on you_

And there was Ron.

_I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you_

And there was another girl in his arms.

_Anywhere, I would have followed you_

And there was them kissing.

_Say something, I'm giving up on you_

ONE DAY LATER

Hermione had screamed herself hoarse. The house was a mess, every picture frame of Hermione and Ron together, every possession of Ron's, everything that she'd gave to him, everything he'd gave to her, destroyed. It looked as if a tornado had come through - and it had. Its name was Hermoine.

Her gaze fell on the last thing that looked untouched - the flowers that Ron had given her before he left. She'd been so proud for him to be her boyfriend that night - so proud of those flowers - so proud.

_And I will swallow my pride_

She grabbed the vase, the flowers inside.

_You're the one that I love_

Hermione threw the flowers at the door as hard as she could.

_And I'm saying goodbye_

TWO DAYS LATER

She stared at the broken glass, the broken flowers by the door.

_Say something, I'm giving up on you_

She was drained - she hadn't stopped crying for days.

_And I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you_

But she was done with it.

_And anywhere I would have followed you, oh-oh_

She wiped away her last tear.

_Say something, I'm giving up on you_

THREE DAYS LATER

Hermione picked up a pen.

_Say something, I'm giving up on you_

She wrote her last letter to Ron Weasley.

_Say something..._


	2. Say Something, I've Given Up On You

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or the song Say Something. Those rights go to (1) J.K. Rowling and (2) A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera respectively.

**CHAPTER TWO**

**SAY SOMETHING, I'VE GIVEN UP ON YOU**

Harry Potter was known to be the best at everything other than academics. He defeated Voldemort once and for all, became an auror without having taken any NEWTS, and, most recently, became the Head Auror.

Harry Potter was also known to be the most sought-after man in the whole wizarding world. He was known to be the best lover anyone could ask for.

But the one thing Harry wasn't good at was love.

He thought he loved Ginny Weasley, the sister of his best friend for over seven years. She was feisty, funny, and protective. Harry had given her the nickname Fire Dragon because of it. In the beginning, Harry was madly in love. Ginny was madly in love with him, too. Well, in hindsight, Harry knew that she was in love with his title, in love with who he was supposed to be.

But Ginny slowly drifted away. She was so engrossed with her Quidditch victories that she didn't have much time at all to spend with Harry. Harry just spent more time at work, not thinking much of it. He assumed it was just a time in Ginny's life where she had to work a lot. But months stretched into years and Ginny's time spent with Harry only lessened. She went to bed earlier, claiming she was tired from Quidditch, and slept in later, only having to go to practice at eleven. Harry almost never saw her, until one day she asked him to become his fiance.

"You know, Harry." Ginny started, "We've been together for over two years, now."

Harry stared at her, not understanding.

"People are starting to wonder if you'll ever propose to me." Ginny explained, a bit impatiently.

"Oh." Harry said.

Three days later, Ginny was on the cover of the Daily Prophet, a shiny, silver-band emerald-gem engagement ring on her finger.

Ginny began spending more time with Harry, and Harry was finally hopeful that they could be madly in love again.

A month later, Ginny told Harry she was going to America for a year.

Harry's hopes came crashing down.

SIX MONTHS LATER

It had been months since Harry had heard from Ginny. He kept sending her letters, but got no reply. He felt like he was in second year all over again, waiting for letters that would never come - letters that were being kept from him.

_Say something..._

His hope that he and Ginny would ever be in love again slowly dwindled.

_Say something, I'm giving up on you_

On Christmas Eve, Harry stared at the wall, lost in thought. Maybe Ginny wasn't sending him letters as a sign that she wanted to break up with him. Hermione would know, Harry thought miserably, but he would never dare to ask her.

The more Harry thought about it, the more it made sense. Maybe Ginny had seen her ring and decided that life with Harry wasn't good enough for her. Maybe she didn't want to be the one to say it, though. That was fine.

_I'll be the one, if you want me to_

He wondered that Ginny would still love him if he'd gone to America with her. She hadn't made that an option, though.

_Anywhere, I would have followed you_

His hope was almost gone. It was still there, but not a lot of it was.

_Say something, I'm giving up on you_

He felt so alone, so less than what everyone said he was.

_And I am feeling so small_

He wondered what in the world he had been doing, proposing Ginny even though he barely saw her.

_It was over my head_

What was he thinking, giving her that ring? That promise?

_I know nothing at all_

He had started to become sloppy in his job; so much so that even the rookie aurors could tell.

_And I… will stumble and fall_

He wondered if when he'd stopped loving Ginny.

_I'm still learning to love_

He wondered when she'd stopped loving him.

_Just starting to crawl_

It was January first when Harry picked up the newspaper he'd been ordering from America. He'd been trying to find Ginny in one of them to see how she was doing. Ron as well. He saw Hermione at work yesterday. She looked as miserable as Harry had been feeling. He had also been working a lot - just as Harry had. Harry had taken to going up to her and asking her if she was alright, but she simply waved him away.

Harry saw the front cover and sucked in a breath.

_Say something, I've given up on you_

There was Ginny.

_I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you_

And there was her in another man's arms.

_Anywhere, I would have followed you_

And there was them kissing.

_Say something, I'm giving up on you_

ONE DAY LATER

Harry had expected rage, but it never came. There was just a calm. After all of the months wondering, he finally had an answer. Ginny didn't love him. And, at that knowledge, Harry knew that he didn't love Ginny. Harry hadn't loved Ginny for a very long time; he had just tried to hold onto her, tried not to give up on her. But he had already given up on her, so it was easy. No rage, no screams, no tears. Just one sigh of relief and acceptance.

_And I will swallow my pride_

Harry turned from the paper and walked up the stairs.

_You're the one that I loved_

Harry opened the door to the room that used to be his and Ginny's.

_And I'm saying goodbye_

TWO DAYS LATER

Harry looked at the boxes of Ginny's things that he had packed. He had thought about using magic, but he felt like it would be wrong to use magic to help him say goodbye. He needed to be absolutely sure he was done with Ginny. And now he was.

_Say something, I've given up on you_

He wished he could know if she had ever got his messages, if she ever would. But he knew she would get this one.

_And I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you_

He thought about the boy in the picture, and wondered what made Ginny kiss him. He figured he was probably the son of the President or something. He realized that Ginny was never after him, only his title, only his looks, only what he was supposed to be. But he wasn't that person, and he wasn't going to change for her.

_And anywhere I would have followed you, oh-oh_

When he was packing up her belongings, he had found some magazines that disgusted him. That was when he knew Ginny hadn't been in love with him for a long time.

He was okay with that. He didn't care about her anymore.

_Say something, I've given up on you_

THREE DAYS LATER

Harry picked up a pen.

_Say something, I've given up on you_

He wrote his last letter to Ginny Weasley.

_Say something..._


End file.
